Press unloader and shutter



Sept. 30, 1952 R. CHAPMAN 2,612,275

PRESS UNLOADER AND SHUTTER Filed April 10, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVYENTOIQ. Rel 2h Chapman flf/UrnE 1 R. CHAPMAN Pmss UNLOADER AND SHUTTER Sept. 30, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed April 10. 1948 Sept. 30, 1952 R. Cl-APMAN 2,612,275

PRESS UNLOADER AND SHUTTER Filed April 10, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Pa o/1 Chapman BY Sept. 30, 1952 R. CHAPMAN 2,512,275

PRESS UNLOADER AND SHUTTER Filed April" 10, 194a 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Ra Iph Chapman 3 A5 BY ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.612215 1 I I PRESS UNLOADER. AND SHUTTER v Ralph Chapman. Corvallis, Gregg assignor to Chapman Forest Utilization, 1110., Corvallis, Greg, a. corporation of Oregon v Application'April 10, 1948. Serial No. 20.337

3Claims. (01.214-1) I Pix-.11.. 1 v

My present invention comprises an unloadingmechanism for a board consolidating press. .In the manufacture of artificial boards wet mats of flbre'are subjected to heat and pressure to cause the-natural lign'ins and resins of the fibre, and

sometimesadded resinous binders, such as a phenolic" resin in incipient C-stage, to be converted into end products, such as infusible, insoluble phenolic resin in'C-stage. to bind the fibres in consolidated arrangement. The steps of heating and pressing may be accomplished in various manners by various means. One usual means comprises a multiple platen press in which a. plurality of superimposed platens are simultaneously'spread apart to permit reception of a pluralit'y'oi wetmats in the spaces between the platens. When the platens ar brought together and heated above the boiling temperature of water the mats are dried, compressed and consolidated wmrm artificial boards. The boards are .usually made in commercial sizes such as 4' x 8'.

The unloading of such a press has been a difficult problem and usually means have been prov-idedfor removing sing-1e boards from the press. Such-a method of operating requires considerable time which reduces the output of a board forming plant. The principal object of myinvention is to provide means forsimultaneously receiving all the-boards from a multiple platen press so that the press can be reloaded with wet mats after a minimum-delay.

-A-iurther objectof the present invention is to provide means wherein a plurality .of formed boards are received in superimposed relation in a vertically movablerack having means associated therewith for serially unloading the boards from therack whereby the boards may be directed serially into inspecting, grading, humidifying, trimming, wrapping or other mechanisms;

.Aiurther object of the present invention is to .The. objects and advantages of the present.

invention may be more fully understood by reference. to the accompanying drawings taken in connection with the following specification wherein like numerals refer to like parts through-.

out. T l

.In the drawings.

' --Fig. '1 is aside view in elevation of the unloadingrackforming the present invention, showing the relationship thereof to amultiple platen pressfrom which it receives boards;

Fig. 5 is a viewtaken from the plane 5,-.5i..of

Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view taken from the plane Fig-.4; 1 Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken from :the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig-8 is a sectional view takenalong line 8i-llv of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a representation of one pair of press. platens and one of the board receiving means in, the. unloading rack showing the relationshipv when the press is operatingupona board; 3

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the relationship when the press'is about to release boards into the unloading rack;

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing theboard being 1 fed into the unloading rack; 1

Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the'board'completely receivedin the rack;

Fig. 13 is a similar view showing sociated with the rack for removing the serially from the rack;

Fig. 14 is a detail view taken substantially along line l4-,-l4 of Fig. 13; and I a Fig. 15 is a schematic wiring diagram.

The present invention is designed tov be associated'with a multipleplaten press such .as indi; cated at l0 (Fig. l), the press comprising aIplurality of superimposed platens ll within which. steam or other heatingmedium maybe circu-- boards 'lated. Each platen has. associated therewith feeding means as exemplified by the sprocket chains l2 passed about the side edges of the plat-1 vertical corner posts.23..the entire rack being.

guided for vertical reciprocation by .the four guide posts 24-. -.The posts extend into a pit or depres sion in' the floor of the plant adjacent the press- In so :that the entire-rack may be moved-vertically fromitsposition oppositethe pressg as seen the means as.

' 3 in Fig. l, to a position in which the frame 22 is near the floor of the pit. The posts 24 are braced by a bottom frame 25 and a top frame 26. Rack elevating means, to be described later, are mounted upon the top frame 26.

The rack comprises a plurality of board receiving means 30, each including side channel bars 3| extendihgfrofrijffront to reai: of the raekand':

mountewup'onth upright frame members 2-3. The side bars 3| are inclined downwardly from front to rear and support a plurality of rollers 32 which extend above the side frame members and are capable of supporting thereon 'aboard '5 fed thereto from the press. A limit-bar'z331x; tends across the lower end ot'each receiving space to stop the boards in vertical alignment. Since the board has been consolidated to a r-igid self;

vanes, the two sets of vane being mounted iback to back so that when the movable vanes 36 bridge the gaps between fixed vanes an imperforate wall isprovided to prevent steam and hot water from escaping from the press into the unloading rack, thereby protectingv the finished boards. The fixed and movable vanes constitute a shutter which inaylbe opened to leave spaces into which the finished boards maybe fed when the movable vanes-are moved :to the levels of the fixed vanes, as seen in'Figs. 1'0 andl1;

The movable. vanes 353 are longer than the fixed vanes 35 and extend :beyond the side .frame members 23 at each end, the endsthereof being fixed to apair of tubular slides'40 carried upon upright rods 4|. Each rod 4! is longer than its associated slide. The upper end of the rod is threaded into a threaded member 42which is rotatably mounted in a bracket fixed to the corner of the upper frame 2|. The lower end of the rod 4| is pinned into a socket member 43'mounted upon the lower frame 22. The lower end of the slide is provided with a flange 44 and a strong spring 45 is coiled about the rod 4! between the socket member 43 and flange 44. The upper end of. sleeve. 40 carries a "bracket 46 in which is mountedan adjustable screw 41 which may be locked in adjusted position by a lock nut 48 with the .tip of the crew extending upward above the bracket. Thetip of::the screw is aligned'with an abutment 49 welded to one ofthe guide posts 24. The lower end of rodAi is pinned into the socket member 43. and the upper end' is threaded into themember 42150 that the member may-be turned to-.set"the tension oirod-M whereupon' the rod may be locked in posi'tion'by a setscrew5ll. The

position .of thescrew 4'1 may be adjusted so that' upon upward movement of the 'unloading rack the; abutment 49 is engaged-to depress the; sleeve initheart). may beassociated with the'movable vanes to'limitupward movement of. the rackso i9, arrest-the. raqkwhen the .Vanes. are op each: otherias seeuin. Fig. 1.0. The spring? iscompressed when the movable vanes are depressed and as soon as the rack is lowered im- -A preferred-form of inans for moiinting the rollers 32 is illustrated in Fig. 8. The body of the roller preferably comprises a tube of light weightmetalsuch as aluminum into the end of which is presse'd'the outer raceway of a ballbearingqassemblyk The inner raceway 56 is mounteld-upo'n-astud 51 extending through a nut 53 wel'ded to the-vertical flange of the side bar 3|,

\ thestud being locked in position by an outwardly accessible lock nut 59.

A'preferred means for guiding the rack between the posts 24 is illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein itma-y..1be seen that brackets 60, which are mounted at each corner ofeach of the uplifilfufidhli lower frames, carry guide. plates 6| in eac ofwhich. an arcuate notchsfii is provided; theanotehbeing of the'same .radius as thetubular guide; posts Z' i'and engaging-the outer surfacethQIQQf; The edge of'notch- 521s preferably providedw h; a plurality of. smaller notches 63,.to;preve i i t the; platefrom scraping lubricant toward the en :of;

' the posts.

In'order to elevate and lower the. rack-Wis; supported by a pluralityof sprocket oha '65; from the top frame 25;one such chain bcin lo; cated' ateach, corner. of the. frame. Each chain-. 65 is fixed-at one end to the frame 26, passes, about sprocket 55; mounted ongachannel 6] at; the upper. cornerof the-upperiframe, 2| of rack, then arounda sprocket Eli-fixed to,.a sha,f;t 69 extending transversely of the top frame-26,- then downward through the tubularpost 2 4- and has its free end attached'to a weight 10. The weights 'iflpartially counterbalance theweightof the .rack 20 but their principal function is, to. keep; the, chains 65 taut in order that rotation. of; .shaf ts;

89in either. directionmay accomplish movement;

of-the rack. The shafts 5.9 are connectfidablf; sprocketchains l l toa pairjof'sprockets'n fixed; to a-shaft extending from each sidev of a reduc; tion gear-box: 1.3, the gears of which are.. driver i,

1 by a pulley 14 connected bybelts 16 to the pulley...

ll of a motor i8 mounted upon the top, f-rameilj', The. motor is of the reversible-type andcontrolled manuallyor automatically, as. the oasemay be. 1 9- operate in eitherdirection. o i

Fig. 15 schematically illustrates. a control .cir-. cult formotor 1.8. In this. circuit a pair offlihesi iii'iiandBileadfromthe. positive side and asinele. 1ine'.83 back to the. negativeside from. apairfof' reversible switches.-.84.: and 85. .Line acis c. 115 trolled by; aman'ual switch. which i-s..ncrma11y open. Isine Bliscontrolledby a.pair.=,of.switchefi 81- and. 85 which are normally. closed. aswitchesl 8.4.and 8.1:are located at the topof theracksuplr. porting frame and switches. :85. and ifli l are; 10:; catedxat the bottom ofithe-rack supportingvframe. and'switchfits-may be, positioned at an. operatots. station. The circuitis shown inthe arranges, mentrofs switchesw-hencthel rack. is resting-at the; top of its travel, in; which case. switch ;8.8;remains. closed and switch 81 has been opened to break; the circuit to motor 78. When switch 6; ismanuailly depressed the;;.mot0;1: will bemmreizsgl to initiatez movcm nt: ofsthe; rack, thus.=;permitt' a closure; ofiswitchiiiilsand thezmotg'r 'willi-tremahis energized until switch-58; is openediupon-the rack.-

reaching the bottom of-its travel. Switches 84 and 85 are reversing switches placed in series with each other and so arranged that upon the rack reaching the top of its travel and at the instant that the circuit is broken, the circuit to the motor is reversed and vice versa, so that each succeeding movement of the motor initiated by manual depression of manual switch 86 is in the opposite direction from its preceding movement.

In order to unload the boards which have been fed into the rack from the press means are provided successively to engage the boards and feed them serially from the trays 30. This comprises a pair of vertical posts 90 extending upward from the fioor upon which posts 24 are supported and connected at their bottoms by a frame 9|. The posts 90 are of such height that the lowermost tray 39 is above the tops thereof when the rack is in its uppermost position and protrude slightly above the topmost tray when the rack is at its lowermost position. The posts are so spaced as to extend between adjacent rollers 32 in the rack trays. A motor 92 is mounted upon the base and a double-ended shaft 93 driven thereby has a pair of pulleys 94 mounted at its ends, each pulley being preferably of a multi-sheave type. The

motor 92 and shaft 93 are inclined at the same,

angle as trays 30. The pulleys 94 are off-set a sufiiclent distance that belts 95 extending upward from each pulley normal to the shaft 93 will reach points opposite the midpoints of the posts; At the top of each post there is a transverse frame 99 extending from side to side of the clear space of the rack. An inclined sheave 91 is mounted at each comer of the frame 96 in alignment with the pulleys 94. The belts 95 pass about the sheaves 91 from the pulleys 94 and are stretched along the top of the frame 96 in position to engage the bottom surface of each board as it is moved downwardly in the rack 20. The speed of.

the belt 95 is much greater than the speed of movement of the rack 20 so that each board is ejected from the rack substantially as soon as it is lifted from the rollers 32, thus clearing each tray in succession and ejecting the boards serially onto a roller'conveyor 98 or the like which leads the boards to the succeeding operating mecha-v nism or operating, stations.

Having illustrated and described-a preferred embodiment of my present invention, it is to be I press comprising a rack having a plurality of vertically superimposed shelves each adapted tore- 1 ceive one of a plurality of boards from said press,

a shutter mounted upon said rack at the side from. which the boards are fed thereinto combetween saidfixed vanes when said rack approaches the upper limit of its movement, and means automatically to feed boards deposited in said rack serially from the rack as it is being lowered.

which the boards are fed thereinto comprising a plurality of vertically spaced, fixed vanes and a plurality of vertically spaced, movable vanes normally bridging the spaces between said fixed vanes, means to elevate said rack to a position alongside of said press and to lower said rack to a position below said press, said shelves lying opposite the platens of the press when the rack is raised and the press opened, a frame in which said rack is guided for vertical movement, spring means normally holding said movable vanes in their normal relation to said fixed vanes, fixed abutment means on said frame, means on said rack engageable by said abutment means for roller shelves therein each adapted to receive a board laterally from between one of the opposed sets of platens in said multiple platen press, a shutter mounted upon said rack at the side from which the boards are fed thereinto comprising a. plurality of vertically spaced, fixed vanes and a vertically slidable structure including a plurality of movable vanes normally bridging the spaces between said fixed vanes, means to elevate said rack to a position alongside of said press and to lower said rack to a position below said press, said shelves lying opposite the platens of the press when the rack is raised and the press opened, a frame in which said rack is guided for vertical movement, spring means-normally hold: ing said slidable structure in such position that fixed vanes, a fixed abutment on said frame en- "gageable with said slidable structure when said rack approaches the upper limit of its movement for moving said slidable structure to a position such that said movable vanes overlie said fixed vanes whereby the spaces between said fixed vanes are opened for the reception of boards from said multiple platen press, and means 'automatically to feed the boards serially from rack as the rack is being lowered.

RALPH CHAPMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 510,626 Zeller Dec. 12, 1893 1,518,279 Schroeder et a1, Dec. 9, 1924 1,633,236 Troiel June 21,1927 1,776,201 St. Clair et a1 Sept. 16, 1930 1,903,102 Farley Mar. 28, 1933 2,200,708 Towne et al May 14, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 433,778 Great Britain Aug. 15, 1935 

